Quick lace shoelace tightener



March 30, 1954 EK 2,673,381

QUICK LACE SHOELACE TIGHTENER Filed D90. 13, 1951 INVENTOR. WED 52005K158 Patented Mar. 30, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,673,381QUICK LACE SHOELACE TIGHTENER Fred E. Dueker, Fort Bliss, Tex.Application December 13, 1951, Serial No. 261.4% Claims. (01. 24-440)This invention relates to improvements in shoe closures.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a shoe closurewhereby the shoe can be quickly and easily tightened and untightened andwhich eliminates the conventional tying and untying of knots.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a shoe' closurethat can be operatedwith one hand and of such simplicity and ease inoperation that the shoe may be tightened or untightened by childrenwithout assistance of adults;

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a shoeclosure that eliminates the tying of knots in the conventional mannerand thereby eliminates accident due to untied shoe lace'knots.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a shoeclosure that can be adjusted to the wearers comfort and which willretain such adjustment until the shoe is removed.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a shoeclosure which is fixedly se cured to the shoe uppers at all times andwhich includes novel means for tightening andum tightening saidshoeuppers:

Other objects of the present invention are toprovide a shoe closurewhich is of simple construction, easy to operate, inexpensive tomanufacture, pleasing in appearance and efficient in" operation.

For a better understanding of the invention; reference may be had to thefollowing detaileddescription, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view'of the shoe closure in position on the shoeuppers;

Fig. 2 is' a top plan view of the shoe closure with the cover plateremoved to illustrate the: position of the moving parts when the shoe-isuntightened;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of'the shoe closurewith the coverplate-removed-to show the position of the moving parts when-the shoeuppers are tightened on the-foot-ofthe wearer;

periphery thereof is adapted to be placed over the shoe uppers, theupwardly extending flange 9 being bordered by the shoe lace eyelets Inin the manner shown in Fig. 3. The longitudinal sides of the base plate'5 taper slightly downwardly and the lower surface thereof is slightlycurved to fit the contourof the foot. The rectangular shaft consistingof a smooth portion l2 and a saw-toothed portion I3 is disposed alongthe longitudinal axis of said base plate 1, the ends I4 and i5 of theshaft being adapted to rest in holes l6 and I1 located at the top of theupwardly extending flange 9 at the longitudinal axis thereof. Shouldersl3 and I9 prevent longitudinal displacement of the shaft relative to thebase plate I. Rectangular members 20, 2| and 22 are located along thetoothed portion I3 of the shaft II and are adapted to ride freely alongsaid toothed portion I3. The lower portions of the rectangular members20, 2| and 22 have integrally formed loops 23 adapted to receive theshoe lace 24. b

An operating knob 25 consisting of a central portion 26' and an' upperportion 21 is located along the upper portion of' the shaft above therectangular members; 2| and 22. The central portion 26' of the operatingknob is adapted to ride along the shaft H in a manner similar torectangular members 20, 2| and 22.

The upper portion 2'! of the operating knob 25 Fig. 4 is a verticalsection taken along line 4-4-of Fig. 1; I I

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of'a-portion of the shoe closure;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken along the line- 6-6 of Fig. 5.-

Referring now tothe figures, a'-baseplate l' consisting of a rectangularbase 8 and ari-upwardlyextending flange 9"eiitending arourfd theconsists of a shell28, said shell 28 being roughly semi-circularcross-section, a ratchet 30 and a- U-spring 32. The'center of theratchet 30 is pivotally connected to the side walls of the shell 28 inconventional manner by means of a pin 3|.

The lower portion of the ratchet 30 extends downwardly of the centralportion 26 through the opening 29, the lower portion of the ratchet 30being adapted to engage the saw-toothed portion. l3; Ther'atchet' 30iskept .in engagement with the saw-toothed portion 3 by means of the useof the U-spring 32. Ashoulder 33 located at the lower end of the ratchet30 prevents dis;- placement of the u spring 32. The ratchet 30 extendsupwardly and outwardly from said shell 28 by means of the opening. Thelower surface of the operating knob 25 has integrally formed thereto aloop 23 adapted to engage the shoe lace24'. I V

A' cover pla'te3 5 consisting of a cover 315 and adownwardlyextendingflange 31 located around the periphery of said cover36 and integrally connected thereto is adapted to snap over the seflate" Lin t eir ia'nn o ni igr The" cover 36' is p'rovidd with" anelongated" opening 38 located along the longitudinal axis of said cover36 and adapted to permit longitudinal movement of the operating knob 25along the shaft I i. Shoulders 39 of the shell 28 engage the uppersurface of said cover 36 and prevent upward displacement of said coverplate 35 relative to said base plate '1.

Openings do are located along the longitudinal sides of the upwardlyextending fiange 9 adjacent the shoe lace eyelets It, as shown in Fig.3. Corresponding openings ii are located in the downwardly extendingflange 31 of the cover plate 35 and coincide with the openings 48.

lhe shoe closure is permanently attached to the shoe by lacing it onwith the conventional shoe lace employing the horizontal front lacingmethod. The shoe lace 26, as is shown in Fig. 3, passes upwardly fromthe shoe lace eyelet it through the openings to and ti in the base plate1 and cover plate 35 respectively, then passing through the loop 23 ofthe rectangular member 22 and out the other side of the base plate I andcover plate 35 through the openings to and 4!. In order to provideaccess to the openings All and ll and the loop 23 when lacing, thevarious parts of the shoe closure are not assembled until the lacing iscomplete. When the shoe lace 25 has passed through the openings it andll and the loops 23 in the manner shown in Fig. 2, the shoe lace is tiedin a firm knot near the operating knob and the loose ends of the laceremaining are severed. This lacing is effected with the base plate 7 inthe position shown in Fig. 2, while the rectangular shaft H and theoperating knob 25 and cover plate 35 rest slightly above the baseplate 1. During the lacing, the operating knob 25 rests in the elongatedopening 38 of the cover plate 35 and moves free of the longitudinalshaft H, which in turn moves free of the base plate 8. When the lacingis complete, the central portion of the operating knob 25 with the coverplate 35 attached thereto is slid onto the rectangular shaft I i fromthe end I l. The rectangula mem bers 26, El and 22 are, of course, intheir proper place on the rectangular shaft I l during the operation.After sliding the cover plate 35 and operating knob 25 onto therectangular shaft ii, the latter is then snapped into place in the baseplate '6, the ends it and [5 of the rectangular shaft H engaging theopenings [6 and ii in said base plate 7.

In operation the shoe is placed on the wearers foot with the operatingknob and rectangular members in the position shown in Fig. 2. The outerend of the ratchet 3% is then pressed down- Wardly and the operatingknob moved downwardly. The movement of the operating knob carries therectangular members 28, 21 and 22 to the lower end of the rectangularshaft H, as shown in Fig. 3. The outer end of the ratchet is thenreleased, the U-spring 32 serving to hold the inner end of the ratchetin position on the saw-toothed portion of the rectangular shaft H; Theposition of the operating knob 25 may, of course, be adjusted to thecomfort of the wearer. To remove the shoe, the foregoing procedure ismerely reversed. I

It should now be apparent that there has been provided a novel shoeclosure which permits the tightening and untightening of shoes with aminimum of effort.

While various changes may be made in the detailed construction, itshould be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit andscope of the present invention, as defined by the tippended claims:

What is claimed is:

l. A shoe closure comprising a rectangular shaft, a portion of the uppersurface of said rectangular shaft being of saw tooth construction, aplurality of rectangular members adapted to slide freely along said sawtooth portion, the lower surface of each of said rectangular slidingmembers having integrally formed thereto a loop adapted to receive a.shoelace, another rectangular sliding member adapted to slide along saidrectangular shaft, above said first mentioned rectangular slidingmembers, said other rectangular sliding member having integrally formedon the lower surface thereof a loop adapted to receive a shoe lace, theupper portion of said other rectangular sliding member being providedwith releasable means for locking said another rectangular member alongthe saw tooth portion of said rectangular shaft, and a flat rectangularhousing for said rectangular shaft, said shaft at each end being fixedlymounted in the ends of said housing, said flat rectangular housing beingadapted to rest on the shoe uppers between the shoe lace eyelets andbeing provided on each side thereof with a series of openings locatedadjacent said eyelets, said flat rectangular housing being provided withan elongated opening whereby to permit access to said releasable meansof said other rectangular sliding member.

2. A shoe closure comprising an elongated rectangular shaft, a portionof the upper surface of said rectangular shaft being of saw toothconstruction, three rectangular sliding members adapted to slide freelyalong said saw tooth portion, each of said three rectangular slidingmembers having integrally formed to the lower surface thereof a loopadapted to receive a shoe lace, a fourth rectangular sliding memberadapted to slide along said saw tooth portion above said threerectangular sliding members and having integrally formed to the lowesurface thereof a loop adapted to receive a shoe lace, the upper surfaceof said fourth rectangular member having integrally formed thereto anenlarged hollow knob, said enlarged hollow knob in the upper wallthereof being provided with a first opening, said enlarged hollow knobin the bottom wall thereof being further provided with a second openingcommunicating with the interior portion of said fourth rectangularsliding member whereby to provide access to said saw tooth portion, aratchet located within said knob and pivotally connected to the sidewalls thereof by means of a pin, the lower portion of said ratchetextending through said second mentioned opening and being adapted toengage the saw tooth portion of said rectangular shaft, the upperportion of said ratchet extending upwardly and outwardly of saidenlarged hollow knob by means of said first mentioned opening, springmeans located within said enlarged hollow knob adapted to maintain thelower portion of said ratchet in engagement with said saw tooth portion,and a fiat rectangular housing for said rectangular shaft, said shaft ateach end being fixedly mounted in the ends of said housing, said flatrectangular housing being adapted to rest on shoe uppers between shoelace eyelets and being provided on each side thereof with a series ofopenings adjacent said eyelets, said flat rectangular housing beingprovided with an elongated opening adapted to receive the centralportion of said fourth sliding member while re ntin th d wnw d, is a ehe.

enlarged hollow head integrally formed thereto, said elongated openinglying above the said rectangular shaft and extending substantially thelength thereof.

3. A shoe closure comprising an elongated rectangular shaft, the uppersurface of said rectangular shaft being of saw tooth construction alonga portion thereof, three hollow rectangular members adapted to slidealong the saw tooth portion of said rectangular shaft, each of saidhollow rectangular members having integrally formed to the lower surfacethereof a loop adapted to receive a shoe lace, a fourth hollowrectangular sliding member adapted to slide along the saw tooth portionof said rectangular shaft above said three rectangular sliding members,the lower surface of said fourth rectangular sliding member havingintegrally formed thereto a loop adapted to receive a shoe lace, theupper surface of said fourth rectangular member having integrally formedthereto an enlarged hollow knob, said enlarged hollow knob beingprovided in the upper wall thereof with a first opening, said enlargedhollow knob being further provided in the bottom wall thereof with asecond opening communicating with the interior portion of said fourthrectangular sliding member whereby to provide access to said saw toothportion, a ratchet located within said knob and pivotally connected tothe side walls thereof by means of a pin, the lower portion of saidratchet extending through said second mentioned opening and beingadapted to engage the saw tooth portion of said rectangular shaft, theupper portion of said ratchet extending upwardly and outwardly of saidenlarged hollow knob by means of said first mentioned opening, aU-shaped spring located within said enlarged hollow knob between theupper interior surface thereof and the lower portion of said ratchetwhereby to maintain said lower portion of said ratchet in normalengagement with said saw tooth portion, the lower portion of saidratchet being provided with a shoulder whereby to maintain said U-shapedspring against displacement relative to said ratchet, and a flatrectangular housing for said rectangular shaft, said shaft at each endbeing fixedly mounted in the ends of said housing, said flat rectangularhousing being adapted to rest on shoe uppers between shoe lace eyeletsand being provided on each side thereof with a series of openingsadjacent said eyelets, said flat rectangular housing being provided onthe upper surface thereof along the rectangular axis thereof with anelongated opening adapted to receive the central portion of said fourthsliding member while preventing the downward displacement of theenlarged hollow head integrally formed thereto, said elongated openinglying above the said rectangular shaft and extending substantially thelength thereof.

4. A shoe closure comprising a rectangular shaft, a portion of the uppersurface of said rectangular shaft being of saw tooth construction, saidshaft being provided at each end with a shoulder, three hollowrectangular members adapted to slide along the saw tooth portion of saidrectangular shaft, each of said hollow rectangular members havingintegrally formed to the lower surface thereof a loop adapted to receivea shoe lace, a fourth hollow rectangular sliding member adapted to slidealong the saw tooth portion of said rectangular shaft above said threerectangular sliding members, the lower surface of said fourthrectangular sliding member having integrally f o'mled thereto a loopadapted to receive a shoe lace, the upper surface of said fourthrectangular member having integrally formed thereto an enlarged hollowknob, said enlarged hollowknob being provided in the upper wall. thereofwith a first opening, said enlarged hollowknob being further provided inthe bottom wall thereof with a second opening communicating with theinterior portion of said fourth rectangular sliding member whereby toprovide access to said saw tooth portion, a ratchet located within saidknob and pivotally connected to the side walls thereof by means of apin, the lower portion of said ratchet extending through said secondmentioned opening and being adapted to engage the saw tooth portion ofsaid rectangular shaft, the upper portion of said ratchet extendingupwardly and outwardly of said enlarged hollow knob by means of saidfirst mentioned opening, a U-shaped spring located within said enlargedhollow knob between the upper surface thereof and the lower portion ofsaid ratchet, the lower portion of said ratchet being provided with ashoulder whereby to maintain said U-shaped spring against displacementand a flat rectangular housing for said rectangular shaft, said fiatrectangular housing consisting of a base plate, said base plate beingadapted to rest on shoe uppers between shoe lace eyelets, an upwardlyextending flange integrally connected around the periphery of said baseplate, the longitudinal sides of said upwardly extending flange beingprovided with a series of openings located adjacent said eyelets, thelower surface of said base plate being curved concavely, thelongitudinal sides of said upwardly extending flange tapering slightlytowards each other, a cover plate, said cover plate being providedaround the periphery thereof with a downwardly extending flangeintegrally formed thereto, said downwardly extending flange beingadapted to fit snugly around said upwardly extending flange and beingprovided along the longitudinal sides of said downwardly extendingflange with a series of openings coinciding with the said openings insaid upwardly extending flange, said cover plate being provided with anelongated opening adapted to receive the central portion of said fourthsliding member while preventing the downward displacement of theenlarged hollow head integrally formed thereto, said elongated openinglying above the said rectangular shaft and extending substantially thelength thereof, the upwardly extending flange of said base plate beingprovided with openings at each end thereof, said openings being locatedalong the longitudinal axis of said base plate, said openings beinglocated near the top of said upwardly extending flange, and receivingtherein the ends of the said rectangular shaft, said shoulders locatedat the ends of said rectangular shaft preventing longitudinaldisplacement of said shaft relative to said base plate.

5. A shoe closure comprising a shaft having a saw tooth portion, afreely slidable member adjustable along the shaft and having a shoe lacereceiving portion, another sliding member on said shaft also having ashoe lace receiving portion, releasable means on said other slidingmember engageable with the saw tooth portion of the shaft to retain thesliding member in its adjusted position thereon, a supporting housingfor retaining said shaft therewithin and inclosing said sliding membersso as to permit movement thereof, said housing being adapted to restupon the FRED E. DUEKER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 317,528 Forbes May 12, 1885 914,897 Thomas Mar. 9, 1909FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 124,450 Germany Oct. 26, 1901

